Author: Mary Ackerman
Grade Level: 9
Course: General Science
Purpose of Inner Earth Unit
The purpose of this unit is to provide the students with a basic understanding and overview of topics related to the structure of the Earth. These include what geology is, the layers of Earth's interior with how they function and relate to one another, the formation of minerals as well as their properties and how to determine their differences, the types of rock, how they are formed as well as the cycle of how each type relates through their formation, the concepts of plate tectonics how they move and the geographic representations of their formation and movement, a particular dissection of earthquake occurrence and measurement, and finally a look at volcanoes structure and how this impacts their explosive results.
Inner Earth (ch 22) Concept Map (visual representation of the unit topics and how they are related to one another) Inner Earth (ch 22) Outline (I hope to print this out as a book mark for students to reference and be able to take notes or jot down questions on, as it gets closer to utilizing it I may include the prospective dates topics will be covered so that if they miss class they can do some research/reading on their own)
Formative assessment was utilized throughout the unit to gauge the understanding students had gained and to probe for any misconceptions that had not been overcome, or that had been formed. This is seen through the use of a Daily Teaser at the start of every class period, as well as probing questions used in various lessons. The review questions in homework assignments also allow a judgment on how much has been understood thus far and if any review of topics or concepts is necessary. While not being a strict formative assesment, I encourage student questions as these show me pitfalls students may have come across or show what they are interested in and give me something I can link knowledge to. The laboratory explorations give the students hand-on experience while allowing me to move throughout the room gauging their level of inquiry.The foldables they will also be creating will also show the depth of knwoledge that they are pursuing on various topics within the unit while also providing them with a study guide and reference guide for homework and classwork. The maps they will be building will also show the depth of knowledge to which they are relating the topics as well as their explanations and rationales for the design of Pangaea or reason behind anomaly earthquakes and volcanoes not at plate boundaries or at unexpected ones. Their questions of the structure or usefulness of scientific technology related to the topics covered gives a final formative assessment at the end of the lesson sequence to see how they apply what they have learned throughout the unit.
Summative assessment is used throughout the unit in the review questions on homework and in-class worksheets. Half way through the topics there is an in-class review session with a pop-quiz to assess the amount of materials they can thus far prove to have mastered. There is a final exam at the end of the unit that allows for a cumulative assessment of the entire unit after they have had a chance to prove their use of the knowledge though various formative assessments.
Inner Earth Unit Rationale
I made the concepts and topics behind the Inner Earth Unit meaningful to students by relating it to their everyday life as well as the lives of others. This related it to what they already know or are comfortable with and can be seen through several factors. They start by finding out what a geologist is and what role they can play in their own lives. They also come to find out what a geologist researches leading them into their own basic study of the earth layers, the components that make up those layers, and how the crust forms plates and the impact their movement has on everyone. As they go through the lesson they build on their own knowledge of everyday life by relating various concepts to their own lives. Such as through the presence and impact of minerals (salt! chalk in the classroom ect. etc. ) and rocks (table tops, concrete, buildings ect.) in their lives which they may not have realized before. As we then cover plate tectonics the students grasp the larger concepts of the impact of earthquakes, volcanoes not only on the immediate area but on the wider economy and social structures. This ties back into geologists and the technology they use to study such events and what their research could mean.
I was able to assess student learning through several factors. The Daily Teaser allowed for a quick inquiry checks as well as the probing questions during all classes. By using the probing questions I am able to gauge if a topic is confusing or has misconceptions that have not been overcome that I may need to reiterate or find another way of explaining to make sure the students get a clear idea of the concepts. I also encourage inquiry from my students as this shows possible pitfalls within my lessons that I can improve, and explain at the moment to all of the students as commonly if one student is confused or curious others are as well. Teachable moments are not to be overlooked no matter what the lesson of the day states we should cover I was also able to use the reviews through homework assignments and occasionally in class on worksheets to probe the depth of knowledge with which they were able to use what they have been learning. I challenged them with more difficult and in depth tasks and questions as the unit progressed moving from information gathering in the foldables, to utilizing it for basic questions in worksheets, inquiry questions in the lab and mini-lab, and finally to engaging them in thinking about the topics and their relationship to one another by mapping, explaining rationales, and questioning technologies usefulness. This build up through each of the lessons not only allowed me to build upon the concepts of previous topics but also on the learning techniques. The repetition of the foldable gave the students a familiar back ground to work with throughout the unit, while providing them with a new way in which to collect and assess data. The build up of materials along with the depth of knowledge required to complete assignments gave the students a continuous, challenge to be met within the classroom.
The Workings of Inner Earth
Author: Mary AckermanGrade Level: 9
Course: General Science
Purpose of Inner Earth Unit
The purpose of this unit is to provide the students with a basic understanding and overview of topics related to the structure of the Earth. These include what geology is, the layers of Earth's interior with how they function and relate to one another, the formation of minerals as well as their properties and how to determine their differences, the types of rock, how they are formed as well as the cycle of how each type relates through their formation, the concepts of plate tectonics how they move and the geographic representations of their formation and movement, a particular dissection of earthquake occurrence and measurement, and finally a look at volcanoes structure and how this impacts their explosive results.Standards with Learning Performances
GSE'sNational StandardsInner Earth Concept Map and Outline
Inner Earth (ch 22) Concept Map(visual representation of the unit topics and how they are related to one another)
Inner Earth (ch 22) Outline
(I hope to print this out as a book mark for students to reference and be able to take notes or jot down questions on, as it gets closer to utilizing it I may include the prospective dates topics will be covered so that if they miss class they can do some research/reading on their own)
Lesson Sequence
Day 1- Earth's StructureDay 2- Minerals
Day 3 - Minerals Lab
Day 4- Rocks and the Cycle
Day 5- Continental Drift
Day 6- Plate Tectonics
Day 7- Earthquakes
Day 8- Measuring Earthquakes
Day 9- Volcanoes
Day 10- Unit Review Inner Earth
Day 11- Unit Exam Inner Earth
Inner Earth Assessment Plan
Formative assessment was utilized throughout the unit to gauge the understanding students had gained and to probe for any misconceptions that had not been overcome, or that had been formed. This is seen through the use of a Daily Teaser at the start of every class period, as well as probing questions used in various lessons. The review questions in homework assignments also allow a judgment on how much has been understood thus far and if any review of topics or concepts is necessary. While not being a strict formative assesment, I encourage student questions as these show me pitfalls students may have come across or show what they are interested in and give me something I can link knowledge to. The laboratory explorations give the students hand-on experience while allowing me to move throughout the room gauging their level of inquiry.The foldables they will also be creating will also show the depth of knwoledge that they are pursuing on various topics within the unit while also providing them with a study guide and reference guide for homework and classwork. The maps they will be building will also show the depth of knowledge to which they are relating the topics as well as their explanations and rationales for the design of Pangaea or reason behind anomaly earthquakes and volcanoes not at plate boundaries or at unexpected ones. Their questions of the structure or usefulness of scientific technology related to the topics covered gives a final formative assessment at the end of the lesson sequence to see how they apply what they have learned throughout the unit.Summative assessment is used throughout the unit in the review questions on homework and in-class worksheets. Half way through the topics there is an in-class review session with a pop-quiz to assess the amount of materials they can thus far prove to have mastered. There is a final exam at the end of the unit that allows for a cumulative assessment of the entire unit after they have had a chance to prove their use of the knowledge though various formative assessments.
Inner Earth Unit Rationale
I made the concepts and topics behind the Inner Earth Unit meaningful to students by relating it to their everyday life as well as the lives of others. This related it to what they already know or are comfortable with and can be seen through several factors. They start by finding out what a geologist is and what role they can play in their own lives. They also come to find out what a geologist researches leading them into their own basic study of the earth layers, the components that make up those layers, and how the crust forms plates and the impact their movement has on everyone. As they go through the lesson they build on their own knowledge of everyday life by relating various concepts to their own lives. Such as through the presence and impact of minerals (salt! chalk in the classroom ect. etc. ) and rocks (table tops, concrete, buildings ect.) in their lives which they may not have realized before. As we then cover plate tectonics the students grasp the larger concepts of the impact of earthquakes, volcanoes not only on the immediate area but on the wider economy and social structures. This ties back into geologists and the technology they use to study such events and what their research could mean.I was able to assess student learning through several factors. The Daily Teaser allowed for a quick inquiry checks as well as the probing questions during all classes. By using the probing questions I am able to gauge if a topic is confusing or has misconceptions that have not been overcome that I may need to reiterate or find another way of explaining to make sure the students get a clear idea of the concepts. I also encourage inquiry from my students as this shows possible pitfalls within my lessons that I can improve, and explain at the moment to all of the students as commonly if one student is confused or curious others are as well. Teachable moments are not to be overlooked no matter what the lesson of the day states we should cover I was also able to use the reviews through homework assignments and occasionally in class on worksheets to probe the depth of knowledge with which they were able to use what they have been learning. I challenged them with more difficult and in depth tasks and questions as the unit progressed moving from information gathering in the foldables, to utilizing it for basic questions in worksheets, inquiry questions in the lab and mini-lab, and finally to engaging them in thinking about the topics and their relationship to one another by mapping, explaining rationales, and questioning technologies usefulness. This build up through each of the lessons not only allowed me to build upon the concepts of previous topics but also on the learning techniques. The repetition of the foldable gave the students a familiar back ground to work with throughout the unit, while providing them with a new way in which to collect and assess data. The build up of materials along with the depth of knowledge required to complete assignments gave the students a continuous, challenge to be met within the classroom.
EDC 430 F08 Unit Plan Eval - Mary A
Overall Teaching Rationale